A Special Visit to Yorktown Day

Denise Doring VanBuren, President General

I was, indeed, honored to represent our members and our National Society in services on October 19 staged by the U.S. National Park Service to honor the 1781 Victory at Yorktown in an unbroken tradition of annual ceremonies that dates to 1909.

Though the service itself and concurrent events were greatly reduced from those of prior years due to the pandemic, a fitting ceremony was nonetheless conducted in order to honor the great siege and final battle that effectively ended the Revolutionary War. I hope you will enjoy this video of this year’s observance.

(FYI: The Commonwealth of Virginia is currently at Stage 3 in its pandemic recovery, which allows for gatherings of up to 250 people. Please know that though masks are required indoors in public buildings, all participants voluntarily wore them for the outdoor, socially distanced event except for the very brief, optional photographs that followed.)

It was a privilege for me to sit in the shadow of the magnificent Yorktown Victory Monument on a picture perfect autumn day. I express my sincere appreciation to the Virginia Daughters, especially State Regent LeAnn Turbyfill and those of the local Comte de Grasse Chapter, who own and operate the nearby 1721 Custom House in this historic community, for their exceptional hospitality. It was also a special treat to meet and pose with representatives of the French Army, who take part annually in order to honor their forebears in the victory.

It is so important that we never forget the significance of what occurred on these lands. There are many sources that discuss in great detail the significance of the American-Franco victory that was won here at Yorktown, but here is a high-level summary from the American Battlefield Trust:

“With his back to the York River, British General Charles Lord Cornwallis intended to refit and resupply his 9,000-man army in the fall of 1781. Upon word that the French Fleet in the Caribbean was sailing north from and would be available for a siege south of New Jersey, George Washington and his French ally, the Comte de Rochambeau, moved their force of almost 8,000 men south to Virginia, planning to join and lead about 12,000 other militia, French troops, and Continental troops in a siege of Yorktown.

“On September 5, while the Allied army was still en route, the French fleet commanded by Admiral de Grasse was guarding the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. In the Battle of the Capes this fleet engaged and drove off a British fleet attempting to relieve the British army at Yorktown. This left Cornwallis isolated.

“After a grueling forced march from New York, the Franco-American army arrived near Yorktown on September 28 and immediately began the hard work of besieging Cornwallis’s army. The French secured the left flank of the allied line, while the Americans held the right flank. Cornwallis threw up a series of redoubts on the outskirts of Yorktown while most his men hunkered down in the town. With the help of French engineers, American and French troops began to dig a series of parallel trenches, allowing the allied force to move closer to the British lines.

“On the afternoon of October 9, Washington began his bombardment. For nearly a week, allied artillery pounded the British defenders. To prevent Cornwallis from repairing his defenses, the fire was kept up day and night. On October 11, Washington ordered that a new parallel be dug 400 yards closer to the British lines. To allow the parallel to reach the river, however, British redoubts #9 and #10 would need to be taken by force.

“On the evening of October 14, after a heavy artillery bombardment, the Americans and French forces launched their assaults. The attack on Redoubt #10 was undertaken by a detachment of 400 light infantrymen commanded by Alexander Hamilton. The Americans attacked with fixed bayonets and unloaded muskets. After vicious hand-to-hand fighting, the British were overwhelmed. It was a stunning victory in which the Americans sustained only 34 casualties. At the same time, the French successfully wrested control of Redoubt #9.

“Surrounded on three sides by enemy artillery, Cornwallis’s position had become untenable. On October 15, he launched a last-ditch counterattack. It failed miserably. Two days later, Cornwallis began negotiations to surrender his army, and on October 19, 1781, roughly 8,000 British soldiers laid down their arms.”

Great generals and common soldiers alike fought to capture this land – resulting in our ultimate victory and our national independence. If you have never visited this hallowed place in American history, I encourage you to consider doing so – what a wonderful patriotic learning opportunity to share with your children and grandchildren. My visit also included a brief stop at the nearby American Revolution Museum at Yorktown — it is wonderful, and I highly recommend it!

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